Car replacer



Nov. 9,1926. 1,606,371

W. M. KITCHEN cm REPLACER Filed Sept 16. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSESINVENTOR Wit/M4 6,

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 9, 192%.

UNlTEfi STATES httt dfiil PATENT @FFEQE;

WILLIAIVI M. KITCHEN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIG'NOR OLE FGRTY-NINEONE- HUNDREDTHS JOINTLY TO REV. WILLIAM PAYNE, WILLIAM W'ASHINGTON,RAYMOND TORINGE, AND WILLIAM MGRDIS, ALL 015 BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

GAR REPLAGER.

Application filed September My invention relates to improvements in carreplacers, .and it consists in the combinations, constructions andarrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of the invention is the provision of a car replacer whichcomprises members adapted to be readily applied to the rails of a tractand which then afiord facili ties for guiding the wheels of a de-railedcar onto the rails without appreciable strain of or wear on the membersof the replacer, the rails or the supporting structure of the car.

further object of the invention is the provision of a car replacer whichwill be reliable in use, and which is adapted to be manufactured at arelatively low cost.

A still further object is the provision of a car replacer comprising apair of members having novel means for diverting car wheels from themembers of the replacer onto the rails and comprising elementsautomatically adjustable to distribute the wear resulting from thecompact of car wheels thereagainst over a relatively great area.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will be apparenti'rom thefollowing description, considered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the members of the carreplacer applied to a pair of track rails,

T Figure 2 is a section along the line 22 of Figtire 3 is a perspectiveView of one of the members of the car replacer, c Figure 4- is afragmentary perspective view showing an end portion of the other memberof the car replacer in tilted position, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the first member of the car replacerin tilted position.

The improved car replacer comprises a pair of replacer members generallyindicated at A. and B respectively- The member A will be termed theinner replacer member, since it is adapted to be placed at the innerside of one of a pair of rails, R, while the member B is adapted to beplaced at the outer side of the other rail R, and ltjherefore is termedthe outer replacer mem- The member A comprises a substantially ehannelshaped body comprising a pair at 16, 1925, Serial No. 56,696.

side walls 1 and 2, respectively, and a bottom 3. The side wall 2 issubstantially straight and is undercut along its lower edge at 4 to reston and engage with the inner edge portion of the base flange 5 of erends to a middle portion 3 which is relatively narrow since it islocated between the middle portions of the upper edge portions of theside walls 1 and 2. The middle portions 3 of the bottom 3 is located atabout the level of the upper face of the head of the adjacent rail R andis integral with the connecting and strengthening web portion 6 whichconnects the middle portions of the side walls 1 and 2.

A socket or seat 7 is formed partially in the upper edge portion of themiddle part of the side wall 1 and partially in the middle portion ofthe bottom 3 for the partial reception of a roller 8. The latter hasrounded ends as best seen in Figure 1 and is prevented from movingbodily completely from the socket 7 by a cap plate 9 which is secured tothe wall 1 in superimposed relation to the middle portion of the wall 1in any suit able known mannerfas by welding. The arrangement is suchthat the roller 8 is supported to turn about an axis parallel to thedirection of length of the side wall 2. The roller 8 protrudes from thesocket 7 in the middle and upper portion of the guidway,

which extends longitudinally of the body of the member A above thebottom 3 and between the side walls 1 and 2, nearly to inher face of theupper. edge portion of the wall 2 intermediate the length of the latter.The bottom of the guideway just mentioned of course, is the upper faceof the bottom wall 3. The bottom of the guideway therefore is inclinedupwardly from its opposite ends and also decreases in width from itsopposite ends to the ortion thereof in which the roller 8 is partiallydisposed.

The body of the member A. is integral with a horizontal flange 10 whichextends laterally outward from the upper edge portion of the side wall 2in position to extend across the upper face of the head flange of theadjacent rail R. The flange 10 has a pendant outer edge portion or lip11 adapt ed to engage with the outer edge of the head flange of theadjacent rail R to prevent lateral movement of the body of the member Ainwardly from position against to the inner side of the rail, as shownin Figure 2. However, the member A can be lifted bodily from theposition shown in Figures 1 and 2 if desired and thus disengaged fromthe adjacent rail.

The body ofthe member A is further reinforced and strengthened byobliquely extending integral reinforcing members 12 which are integralwith the end portions of the bottom 3 and depend underneath the lat terthe respective reinforcing members 12 under each'of the opposite ends ofthe bottom walls 3 of the body of the member A being of differentlengths and each of such bracing members being joined integrally to atleast one of the side walls of the body of the member A. Certainadjacent members 12 adjacent to opposite ends of the body of the -memberA may be connected by integral Web portions as at 13.; adapted to serveas handles when the member A has been turned upside down; whereby themember A can be (-onveniently moved from place to place when desired.

The end edge portions of the bottom 3 may be formed with dependingpointed studs or spikes, as at i l, adapted to bite into an underlyingroad bed'or tie T, and serving to prevent bodily movement of the memberA.in a horizontal plane from a desirable position.

The member 13 is similar in many respects to the member A. The member Balso comprises a substantially channel shaped body comprising asubstantially straight inner side wall 15 and an outer side wall 16which comprises a relatively short middle portion 16' and a pair oflonger end portions 1o which are inclined outwardly toward their outerends from the plane of the middle portion 16?, as best seen in Figures 3and 5. The body of the member B also comprises a bottom having arelatively short middle portion 17* located in the plane of the upperedge of the side wall 15 and a pair of end portions 17* which slopedownwardly from their junctures with the middle portion 17 toward theirextremities. The middle portions of the side walls of the body of themember B are joined integrally by a reinforcing web portion 18. Alongitudinal guidewaythus is produced in the body of the member B andthe bottom of this guideway of course, is the upper face of the bottomwall 17 17 -17 A socket 19 is length of the wall 15.

formed partially in the upper inner edge of the middle portion 16 of theouter side wall of the member B and partially in the middle portion ofthe bottom wall thereof. A roller 20 having rounded ends is partiallyreceived in the socket 19 and turnable about an axis which is parallelto the direction of The roller 20 protrudes from the socket 19 into theguideway in the body of the member B nearly to the plane of the sidewall 15. A retaining cap plate 21 which is welded orsecurcd to the bodyof the member 13 in any other suitable known manner prevents the roller20 from moving bodily completely from the socket 19.

The side wall 15 has laterally cut away inne'r upper and lower edgeportions 22 and 23, respectively, adapted to engage with the outer edgeportions of the head and base flanges respectively, of the adjacent railR. The body of the member B may be held against bodily movement outwardfrom position against the outer side of the ad jacent rail by holdingmeans comprising a tie plate 2% integral with the body of the member Bintern'iediate the length of the latter and extending in a recess 25 inthe underlying tie T underneath the base flange of the adjacent rail Rand being secured to the tie T by spikes 26 which extend throughvertical openings 27 in the inner end portion of the tie plate 24:. Theheads of the spikes 26 preferably engage the inner edge portion of thebase flange of the rail.

The body of the member B also has integral spaced reinforcing members asat 28 underneath the end portions 17 of the bottom wall of the body ofthe member B. Adjacent members 28 may be connected by cross web portions29 adapted to serve as handles when the member 13 has been turned upsidedown. Pendant pointed holding projections or spikes 30 on the endportions of the bottom of the body of the member B are adapted to biteinto the underlying road bed or tie to prevent slipping or creeping ofthe member B from a desirable position.

From the foregoing description. of the various parts of the device theoperation thereof will be readily understood. The wheels at the outerside of a derailed car will be guided along theguideway in the body ofthe member B from either end of the latter to the level of the upper ortread surface of the adjacent rail while at the same time thecorresponding wheels at the inner side of the car will move in guidewayin the body of the member A nearly to the level of the upper or treadsurface of the other rail of the track. Corresponding wheels at theouter and inner sides of the de-railed car will cont-act the rollers 20and at the same time and thus will be deflected laterally in the middleportions of the guidebers A and B to move from the latter onto the railsof the track, the flanges of such wheels engaging with the inner edgesof the head flanges of the rails, as is usual. A de-railed car thus maybe quickly and accurately replaced on the rails of a track when themembers A and B are employed in the manner just described. The contactof the wheels with the rollers 20 and 8 will cause the latter to turnabout their axes so that different portions of the peripheral surfacesthereof will be struck by successive wheels and the rollers thereforewill not be unduly worn at any particular place as a resultvof continueduse of the device.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiments in forms otherthan that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and Itherefore consider as my own such modifications and adaptations thereofas fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A car replacer comprising a pair of member lying in the planeof the upper surface of the adjacent rail and the middle portion of thebottom of the guideway in the inner replacer member lying in a planeslightly lower than that of the upper surface of the adjacent rail, androllers supported in the middle portions of said guideways for divertingwheels from the guideways on to the adjacent rails, said rollers havingrounded ends and being supported to turn about axes parallelto thedirection of length of said replacer members.

2. A car replacer comprising a pair of members respectively adapted tobe placed against corresponding sides of the rails of a track. each ofsaid members having a body formed with a guideway extendinglongitudinally thereof and open at the top of said body, the bottom ofsaid guideway being inclined upwardly from its opposite ends toward thetransverse median line of said body, the middle portion of the bottom ofthe guideway in the outer replacer member lying in the plane of theupper surface of the adjacent rail and the middle portion of the bottomof the guideway in the inner replacer member lying in a plane slightlylower than that of the upper surface of the adjacent rail andreinforcing members comprised in each of said replacer membersunderneath the end portions of the bottom of the guideway in the body ofsaid replacer member, certain of said reinforcing members being adaptedto serve as handles when the body of the replacer member is turnedupside down.

3. A car replacer comprising a pair of members respectively adapted tobe placed against corresponding sides of the rails of a track, each fsaid members having a body formed with a guideway extendinglongitudinally thereof and open at the top of said body, the bottom ofsaid guideway being inclined upwardlyfrom its opposite ends toward thetransverse median line of said body, the middle portion of the bottom ofthe guideway in the outer replacer member lying in the plane of theupper surface of the adjacent rail and the middle portion of the bottomof the guideway in the inner replace member lying in a plane slightlylower than that of the upper surface of the adjacent rail, a tie plateintegral with the body of the outer replacer member extending laterallyof the replacer member and adapt-ed to extend underneath the base flangeof the adjacent rail beyond the inner edge of the latter, the extendingend portion of the tie plate having apertures for the reception ofspikes for securing the plate to an underlying tie and t0 the baseflange of the adjacent rail, the inner replacer member having alaterally extending flange adapted to extend across the top surface ofthe adjacent rail, said flange having a depending rib at its outer edgefor engaging with the outer edge of the head of the adjacent rail.

WILLIAM M, KITCHEN.

